GLOBAL SPOTLIGHT/Middle East: Syrian Rappers & an Iraqi Basketball Team

Situated between Western Asia and Northern Asia, the region of The Middle East is a term used to ‘designate the area between Arabia and India’.  The birthplace and spiritual center of religions including Christianity, Islam and Judaism the area was home to some of the worlds earliest civilizations; Mesopotamia, Ancient Egypt, Asia Minor, the Median civilizations, the Roman Empire and the Byzantine Empire.  Amidst the 20 countries that make up the region, the top three languages spoken include Arabic, Persian and Turkish including a broad range of ethnic and linguistic groups.  With the advent of technology, contemporary culture in the Modern Middle East continues to become influenced by globalization, yet still maintains a strong hold to local cultural roots.

Here we uncover five campaigns coming from The Middle East:

FILM – Red Inside
Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Story: Five passionate film makers want to produce this short film about a man moving on from a tragic mistake and seeking a second chance.

TRANSMEDIA – Barakah Bashad
Location: Cairo, Egypt
Story: Named after an ancient Sufi expression meaning ‘Blessings be’, this experimental documentary film seeks to chronicle indigenous communities from all major continents, and showcase the linkages that bind the human population, eliminating stereotypes and breaking borders.

FILM – Salaam Dunk
Location: Sulalmani, Iraq
Story: This documentary shares the story of an all women basketball team at the American University who bond over sports, breaking down cultural barriers and reach for big dreams.

MUSIC – DAM, the first Palestinian Hip Hop Crew
Location: Lyd, Palestinian Territory, Occupied
Story: Considered one of the first to rap in Arabic, this young crew already received worldwide fame and attention, keen to continue their ten year career by releasing their second album.

MUSIC – Syrian Youth
Location: Damascus, Syrian Arab Republic
Story: After the success of their first album, this rap group aim to continue putting out their unique mix of urban sounds and Arab percussion, to share with a global audience.